ENVIRONMENTAL charity, Groundwork South West, has come to the rescue of a longstanding and well respected training centre in Launceston.

Staff at Enterprise Tamar feared possible redundancy when news surfaced that the company was facing 'difficulties,' but Groundwork South West has been able to continue the delivery of information, advice and guidance, skills for life and IT training.

The building, in St Thomas Road, has reverted to its original name of the 'The Old National School' and has now become Groundwork South West.

James Shepherd, Operations Director for Groundwork South West, said: "We are delighted to be able to offer jobs to the remaining staff to enable the continuation of such highly regarded tuition and training in Launceston. Local people have been very supportive of the work the team deliver and Groundwork respects and values this reputation."

Cynthia Jewell, Launceston Centre Manager, said: "We are so pleased to be able to continue with our training programmes in the Launceston area. People have been coming here for a long time and enjoy learning new skills. It would have been very sad to have had to close and we are delighted to be part of the Groundwork team.

"The Old National School building is synonymous with learning in Launceston and is a place where our learners can acquire new skills in a relaxed and comfortable environment. The loss of such a training facility in Launceston would have had repercussions for the community as a whole."

Education and training is high on the list of priorities for Groundwork. The courses offered by Groundwork in Launceston will enable people to learn skills such as IT, creating or updating a CV, exploring career opportunities and improving numeracy and literacy skills. Such skills build confidence, can help people to get back into employment or help to support a change in career path. As the courses offered are at a variety of levels, including those with no experience at all, Groundwork can help people gain new skills.

As a UK OnLine Centre, Groundwork in Launceston also offers free internet courses to learn to surf the internet safely or to use email with ease.

Sessions on 'Information and Guidance' explore clients' learning and employment options. Literacy, numeracy and IT courses are available to all ages and the staff are looking forward to welcoming new learners and perhaps previous learners.

For more information, you can visit the centre and pick up a leaflet or ring the office on 0845 2727811.